Write it down for progress and better results
Not having a written-out program or taking notes turns your workouts into a guessing game, potentially slowing down progress. Be proactive, grab a notebook or use smartphone. Write it down for progress. There are many apps available to help you out along the way. Be careful and choose the one that best suits your needs.
It surprises me when I tell people who ask about my training that I write down every workout I do. Why record a with workout that I have already done? It’s In the past I hear. Most don’t bother as they know what they are doing. This is fine if you just want to turn up and workout. Just do whatever feels good and be happy. For other more serious about workouts and results to write it down for progress makes sense.
Having a fitness plan for an activity sets you up for future success.
Slow to start
The next workout is always based on what’s been done before. It’s part of a progressive overload approach. At my age I don’t think that a can recall what I ate for breakfast a week ago. Let alone what workout and movements I trained the previous two weeks. Many successful strength trainers even have records going back years.
It hasn’t always been the case. In the past I pretty much trained on a regular basis. I was the happy to turn up guy. My workouts were broken down with the classic 2-3 day split program. I Never wrote it down. What for? Chest – Monday, Back Tuesday, Rest Wednesday, Shoulders – Thursday, and legs Friday was generally mixed up. I’d even do chest again on Saturday with mates. At least I was consistent.
Now that I’m slightly more organised, a fitness professional and regularly writing programs. keeping records certainly help.
The benefits of writing it down for progress are many. So, I have kept it brief and relative to health and wellbeing with what I consider the important points in you actually achieving your fitness goal. Perhaps other endeavours you are working towards.
Write it down for progress keeps you accountable and see all habits
It’s a true reflection on what you have and haven’t done. So, if you skip that run, walk, gym session that you originally planned, you will know by recording it whether you actually bothered or not. It also allows you to reflect back over a given time frame and see what sort of habits you have. In an honest and objective way. It helps you create long term workout habits and plan accordingly.
Do you find that training on Mondays is always achieved? do your Friday afternoons suck or was that long run-on Sunday morning you once wished for now a regular habit? By writing it down it eliminates the guesswork and allows you to plan and move forward.
Any inconsistencies with training over the last few weeks that get in the way of progress can be fixed.
For anyone who has managed to string a few months of solid training together know that it takes a well-planned approach. Once consistent with workouts it becomes an effective process.
It shows you are serious about your fitness and health
The mere fact that you are documenting your fitness regime basically sets you apart from most individual. Sadly, people just turn up and do the same thing week after week. This can become boring after months of training with no results showing. This is when most give up.
It’s another way in keeping you accountable and consistent. Over time when you have gone through this process once or twice and achieved your goal, with experience you become more efficient. Take for example the calories required for a long run. Keeping past records ensures that over time you nail the energy required and don’t struggle with over consumption. Running doesn’t forgive an unsettled stomach. Just as bad, eating low quality food for fuel.
Getting your nutrition right to support your workouts is just as important to getting to the gym. You will be mindful on how much food intake you need based on your acquired knowledge from documenting it before. A common theme among typical seasoned fitness professionals who diligently take into account how many calories are burned during workouts and reconcile this against the calories required for optimum results.
Start a food diary for weigh management goals
For just weight loss needs keeping a food diary helps. An excellent choice to make when initially figuring out what your current habit are towards nutrition in reaching weigh loss goals. For some this is a cumbersome task, the few who manage their food intake diligently can easily see any issues to work on according to particular their needs. Was it about quality, quantity or other matters?
Take a sport that is dependent on bodyweight categories. (for example, combat sports) from a nutritional point of view this is critical in achieving weight loss results. A diary It helps you keep track of your food intake in both maintaining current bodyweight and sports conditioning due to heavy training workloads. In addition to successfully dropping those last few pounds/kg’s in making weight, staying strong and not be depleted.
If you are one of the fitness buffs out there that is a little bit more pedantic with food recording who chooses to break it down even further. Recording carbohydrates, protein, fats and other elements contained in food obtain further information, It’s the way to go. This form of record keeping is quite detailed if you are new to it, I would recommend you seek out a suitably qualified person when needing to take it this far.
Write it down for progress to keep motivated and committed.
If you have taken the time to write it down and have found that certain exercises sets/reps or movements leave you a little sore. Going back over you notes will show you where you might have overloaded and pushed too hard after a particular workout. Without this knowledge you suffer the consequences of creating a negative return on your time exercising. Often referred to point of diminishing results.
You’ll know what caused this. Was it too heavy a week or did you just go too hard on this particular session? Did you eat enough or have poor sleep? Once you figure it all out you can make the necessary changes and remedy situation. You will likely see the results and how you got them. This is the best form of motivation to get.
Once you see results the records maintenance justifies itself. Keep you going as you continue to make improvements. The message is clear, have a plan and eliminate the guess work. Be honest and diligent and you will get the results you are after.
Stick to the process and reap the rewards. A fitter, stronger and leaner body.
